On a run with people you don't know.....

[B.J.W]

More of an open discussion point - I regularly see posts from new members saying "any one up for a run out" etc.

What are you thoughts when you see this? Do you see it as an opportunity to meet fellow petrol heads, or do the potential negatives out weigh the positives? Do you automatically make judgements when their car profile is listed and think "not a chance"

There's already plenty to think about when you are on a spirited run out - do you also factor in strangers, or prefer to stick to your own group whose capabilities and driving is a known quantity?

[zeppelin101]

I'm deliberately cautious around people I've not driven with before. With a number of my friends I know what to expect in terms of how they drive so I don't get surprised often. There is nothing worse than following someone though and they do something you're not expecting. Nearly ploughed into the back of someone who stood on the brakes very early which I had no cause to expect a while back. Kept my distance until I get a handle on what other people do since...

[Gypsum Fantastic]

As with regular road driving, just keep an eye out and you should avoid any problems. It's usually fairly easy to spot idiots as they tend to dedicate themselves to it full time.

[Qwert1e]

.... which is why you're taking a big risk if you go on a track day with people you don't know. There's always some clown in a fast clunker who doesn't care what happens. Same risk on the road IMO, where some people's definition of a "run" is wildly different from mine.

[jjones]

i try to avoid anyone who goes for "a spirited drive" on public roads.

[zebra]

Been there, done that, never again.

Used to organise PH runs but the number of people who turned up who drove too close, tried to prove the daily hack was a challenge to the more exotic cars, displayed poor road manners, etc, etc.

Just have runs with proper mates in small numbers now. Much happier for it.

[Geekman]

I go on loads of them and have never had any problems. If it's with people I don't know, I'll tend to stay at the back so I can do what I want without getting in anyone's way. As long as you keep a decent gap, there's not really much that can go wrong.

[Baryonyx]

I can't imagine much worse than going on a group 'run' in cars. Bikes, yeah, that's fine as you can overtake with great ease. But in cars? Hmm, from the occasional 'group run' I've seen out here, they tend to get broken up by tractors, other cars etc etc. Eventually you'll come to a run off or parking area and find a load of other cars apparently waiting for the rest of the group to turn up!

I personally wouldn't want to go out on a group drive with someone I'd never met before, as I'm sure accident statistics would show that accidents and near misses are way up on those ego-laden trips.

[TheBALDpuma]

I've done it and organised a few myself too. It can be a lot of fun, but it is best if numbers are kept fairly low (<10) and cars are of similar standard.

I haven't done one for a while as the new car isn't really a b-road stormer (ST220 estate) and also, I used to find myself pushing my limits to keep up/make good pace when I shouldn't have done. Very easy for me to say I'll only go as fast as I'm confortable, different thing when the car ahead is just going that litle bit faster.

[Chris71]

Nice with a small group of people you know.

My appetite for organised mass hoons waned after I saw a couple of truly idiotic overtaking manoeuvres from people who were trying a bit too hard.

[devnull]

Went out with a PH run a few years ago. Never again. I like a spirited drive, but the 'pack leaders' were dangerous bellends of the highest order.

[zebra]

There was a thread a few years back that really kicked off on this very subject after a new PH'er asked to go on a run. He was a Macdonalds car park regular. Within a day there were hundreds of posts.

[plenty]

Driving in convoy with a competent group of like-minded individuals can be tremendously rewarding, and can be enjoyed responsibly and safely if the proper rules of engagement are observed. Some of these include:

- Restricting activities to lightly-trafficked roads at appropriate times (usually before 8 a.m. on Sunday)
- Pre-planning and distributing route details in advance (most people I go out with have the route pre-loaded onto a satnav)
- Appropriate etiquette for overtaking and staying in convoy (waiting for the car behind when turning, etc.)
- Zero tolerance for repeated risk-taking (e.g. dangerous overtaking or exceeding speed limits in urban areas)

I've probably participated in north of 100 runs over the years. Who could forget the legendary Kent Runs, Dunstable Hoons, the N. Hampshire Runs or the Dash to the Coast? While occasionally you'd encounter a bad apple or someone clearly out of their depth, the vast majority of attendees were capable and well-behaved.

Nowadays while it's great to see organised events are still very popular among the PH Scotland and East Anglia contingents, in other regions the "PH run" is largely a thing of the past as this forum and its user base has evolved, and the climate of opinion has swiftly and sadly turned against fast-road driving.

[Mastodon2]

I remember a thread on here where a PHer posted about his experience of a "PH run", it may have actually been a thread on why they had died out tbh. When he said that the reality was people bombing down the straights, crawling around the corners, doing some appalling overtaking etc, he was called a liar, "My runs are not like that at all etc", until some other posters joined in saying they'd seen the same things and had been put off. He dared to break the sacred code, to suggest that owning a "fast" car and being interested in fast driving was actually not an indicator of any sort of driving ability.

[GoTea]

I think it depends on "rules" of the run and the characters that turn up.

When I had my TVR I joined some fantastic PH runs out in the North East. The organiser would usually limit it to about 10 or 15 cars and it was made clear that it was a relaxed drive out with no racing/over taking. There was typically a good mix of cars (TVR, Noble, 300ZX, Jag XKR, Ariel Atom, etc). I opted to hang near the back of the convoy and the leaders may have gone a bit faster than I did, but I didn't see any tailgating or dangerous driving.

I don't attend runs any more as I sold the TVR and got a VAG 2.0 TDi. I'm worried that they wouldn't be able to keep up with me.

[Qwert1e]

jjones said:

i try to avoid anyone who goes for "a spirited drive" on public roads.

Very wise IMO.

[Bungleaio]

I went on a driving holiday a couple of years ago and there wasn't any pressure to go fast if you didn't want to but most seemed to treat it like a race.

It taught me that I love driving but driving fast isn't really my thing.